In Tunisia, guest houses are reinventing travel
- Eric ALAUZEN
- Jul 16
- 4 min read
Long focused on seaside resorts, Tunisia's tourism offering is diversifying with the discreet but promising growth of guest houses and rural lodgings, not to mention campsites and motels. Driven by new regulations currently being introduced, this alternative form of tourism is based on authenticity, personalised service and local heritage. A way forward for a more human and sustainable form of tourism!
Last April, the Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Mr. Sofiene TEKAYA, announced the introduction of four official specifications with the ultimate aim of abolishing the current licences to facilitate the creation and operation of these types of accommodation. In other words, the procedures are being simplified and the timeframes reduced in an effort to reorganise this new sector, which the Minister considers vital for Tunisian tourism.
Approximately 2,000 accommodation units (guest houses, rural gites, etc.) are currently active in Tunisia in 2025. In Tunisia, guest houses are reinventing travel
Tourism in Tunisia: between seaside tradition and a resurgence in visitor numbers
Sidi Bou Saïd, Djerba, Hammamet, Mahdia… For decades, Tunisia has been one of the Mediterranean's top destinations. The country has built its success on seaside tourism, with its mild climate, extensive coastline and well-established hotel industry.
In 2024, the country welcomed more than 10.2 million international visitors, returning to pre-Covid figures. The momentum continued in 2025: according to initial mid-year figures, tourist numbers rose by more than 10% compared to 2024, with a notable recovery in the European market, but also growth in Algerian tourists and domestic tourism.
But behind this renewed vitality, another trend is emerging, one that is more discreet and more local: alternative tourism.
Towards more diverse tourism: the beginnings of change
For several years now, curious travellers have been moving away from the beaches to explore the hinterland, the mountains of the north-west, the Amazigh villages of the Dahar or the palm groves of the south. This movement, still marginal, is part of a global desire for authenticity, nature and human encounters, far from the hustle and bustle of traditional hotel complexes.
It is in this context that guest houses and rural lodgings began to develop in Tunisia, often driven by passionate entrepreneurs, both Tunisian and foreign, keen to promote their culture and their region.
Guest houses are much more than just a type of accommodation. They are a lever for sustainable development on several levels:
Economic: they create local jobs and promote inclusion, boosting craftsmanship, small producers and short supply chains.
Environmental: they promote the preservation of natural and heritage resources and landscapes by avoiding mass tourism.
Cultural and human: they enable rich exchanges, the transmission of know-how, direct contact with local people and the creation of unforgettable shared memories for tourists.
In a world in search of meaning, this type of hospitality is becoming a real strategic asset for tourist destinations.
Guest houses in Tunisia: charm, culture and human warmth
Across the country, guest houses are springing up, often nestled in tastefully restored traditional buildings:
An old Andalusian residence in the medina of Tunis,
A cave house in the heights of Dahar,
A rural gîte in the heart of the olive groves of Cap-Bon,
A renovated Berber kasbah in the south...
These places offer warm, often family-style hospitality, personalised service, authentic cuisine where tourists' taste buds are constantly tantalised by the aromas and flavours of dishes prepared with fresh, local ingredients, lovingly simmered, and immersion in the rhythm of local life.
They are also places for encounters and intercultural dialogue: travellers are no longer customers, but guests. They leave with a real, immersive and enriching experience, shared memories and sometimes new friendships.
Diversification as a goal for sustainable tourism
With its rich heritage, geographical diversity and welcoming culture, Tunisia has everything it needs to succeed in its commitment to diverse tourism, a stated objective of the Tunisian Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts for 2025, supported by the various offices around the world and in Tunis of the Tunisian National Tourist Office, headed by Mr Mehdi HALOUI.
The renewed success of seaside tourism in 2025 should not obscure the challenges of tomorrow. Tunisian guesthouses, with their human and regional dimension, represent a credible and complementary alternative, in tune with the aspirations of today's travellers.
Promoting these accommodations, supporting them and raising awareness of them means helping to shape a more balanced, fairer and more sustainable form of tourism.
To find out more about the incredible range of guest houses and rural gites in Tunisia, click on this link: the fabulous book (a comprehensive guide, full of superb photos and mouth-watering local Tunisian recipes), accompanied by the website, created by Salah JABEUR and Samia CHAGOUR (photographers), will help you make your choice!
‘The book is a delight to leaf through and read. As you turn the pages, it inspires you to dream and, above all, to imagine yourself in places where “all is order and beauty, luxury, calm and pleasure”.’ Olfa BELHASSINE, journalist, La Presse de Tunisie
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